Medical Kits, and Wilderness Medicine

Every good outdoor adventurer should carry with them a proper medical kit. Unfortunately many do not, in fact many don’t carry one at all. Pay close attention because what I’m about to share with you may save yours or somebody else’s life. First thing is first, if you’ve been carrying one of those generic “first aid” kits, I congratulate you for trying. Now take that first aid kit, and remove the few handy items out of it, and throw the rest away. Those kits won’t save anyone’s life, and do not have the proper tools to do anything more than turn someone into a band-aid monster.

Next, if you have no medical training, I recommend you get some. Your local Red Cross likely offers basic first aid, and CPR courses for a small fee. If you want to get serious about wilderness medicine there is Wilderness First Aid, and Wilderness First Responded courses. These courses are much more in-depth and provide you with the tools necessary to handle almost any medical emergency that could happen in the wilderness. The two most trusted names in these type of training are Wilderness Medical Associates, and National Outdoor Leadership School. Both offer training courses across the country.

It is important to note that if you treat someone, you know what you are doing. Their life may depend on it, and you can be held liable for mistreatment.

Medical bag:Your medical bag should be large enough to contain all of your medical supplies, yet compact enough that it fits into your backpack.

SAM Rolled Splint 36″, Orange/Blue – Sam splints take the work out of making a splint. Just form the SAM splint to the sprained or broken appendage, and tightly wrap with elastic bandages to create an effective splint.